Many of my friends who are fish keepers are insisting that cory catfishes are the best bottom feeders. I say that clown loaches are. Is either of us right? Or is there another bottom feeder that is a better bottom feeder?

__________________
God has a sense of humor. Want proof? Just go to Walmart and look at people.

Depends on tank size and personal preference. I like cories myself as they produce less waste per intake. Clowns are nice but get too big for many common tanks. Cherry shrimp and Amano shrimp are probably the most efficient but can't be kept with as many types of fish.

__________________
For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association)
Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

Ghost shrimp are not good scavangers. For shrimp, you cant beat the 2 listed above. Bamboo shrimp are good filter feeders and are large enough for most non cichlid tanks. Crystal reds are pretty good. Bumblebee are not but are pretty and active.

__________________
For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association)
Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

Technically cories should be the best bottom feeders because they are strict bottom feeders while clown loaches often take food from the surface.
(Some cories do take food from the suface but they don't do this naturally).

__________________
Used to be the first Supermoderator on here when the site was first made, but havn't got enough time on my hands now, but still glad and proud to be a member of a great place with a great bunch.

my geophagus cichlid is a wonderful bottom feeder. it's constantly sifting through the sand for any uneaten food. stingrays also make good bottom feeders for their endless appetite and their constant grazing through sand.

Clown Loaches definately aren't the best...My three ATTACK the food at the top of the tank when I feed my fish. I vary my fish's diet, but the main food I use are blood worms. As soon as I drop the frozen cubes in, the Loaches SHOOT to the top and compete with the rest of the fish.

I still say snails and ghost shrimp. snails eat leftover food, even if it starts to spoil. though thry do produce quite a bit of waste. My MTS are great, they horde around wafers and such when the lights go off, and dont touch my live plants. Cories are good, but you do have to specifically feed them things to keep them. ghost shrimp will eat anything, and will find the food within seconds of it hitting the ground. they dont produce much waste, and even eat other fish's waste. they also cost around a quarter.

Ive never kept clown loaches, but my yoyo loaches do a great job at eating flakes and frozen foods that hit the bottom. they will eat from the top, but after they do that they scourge the bottom for missed moursels.